Sales for the UK National Lottery reached a record £3.96 billion for the first half of the fiscal year, covering the period from April 1 to September 25. This figure reflects a rise of 2.7%, or £107.3 million, compared to the same timeframe last year. The increase was attributed to outstanding digital performance and innovations that enhanced interest in draw-based games, complemented by a strong promotional presence during the UK’s coverage of the Tokyo Olympics.
Draw-based games predominated Camelot’s sales, contributing £2.23 billion, a 3.6% increase. This growth was fueled by year-on-year gains across all game categories. Despite fewer EuroMillions rollovers, Lotto saw several 'must be won' draws, activating Camelot’s ‘rolldown’ feature, which allows jackpots to be shared among all winners if not claimed within a specified period, thus increasing payouts.
In addition, sales of National Lottery scratchcards and online instant win games climbed 1.6% to £1.73 billion during the half-year. Camelot attributed this to robust retail performance following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in the UK. While in-store scratchcard sales surged by 6.7% year-on-year, online instant win games experienced an 8.8% decline. However, Camelot noted that scratchcard sales remain below pre-pandemic levels due to changes in shopping habits.
Camelot reported total retail sales across all products reached £2.34 billion, a 4.5% increase from last year. Retailer commission also rose by 5.1% to £133 million during the same period. The company collaborates with approximately 44,000 retailers across the UK and expanded its network by partnering with supermarkets Aldi and Iceland, enabling National Lottery draw-based games to be sold at around 1,900 locations.
Digital sales soared to an all-time high of £1.62 billion, marking a modest year-on-year increase of 0.2%, especially following a strong digital performance in 2020 driven by the pandemic. Sales via mobile channels reached £1.15 billion, up 1.8%, reflecting a growing trend towards mobile shopping, supported by over 795,000 new online registrations.
During the half-year period, the National Lottery distributed £2.27 billion in prize money, an increase of £30.6 million from the previous year, creating 184 new millionaires. Camelot retained about 1% of sales as profit and allocated 4% towards operating costs. The amount set aside for good causes reached £884.5 million, up 2.4% from last year. Since its inception in 1994, returns to good causes have exceeded £45 billion.
Camelot’s CEO, Nigel Railton, stated, "With National Lottery sales up across the board and very high levels of public participation, we’ve once again proved that our strategy of offering great consumer choice in a safe and convenient way continues to deliver vital contributions to Good Causes across the UK." He remarked on Lotto's performance as a barometer of the overall health of the National Lottery, expressing pride in the series of enhancements made to the game.
Railton highlighted that Camelot’s summer-long campaign promoting the contributions of National Lottery players in funding Olympians' and Paralympians' training significantly engaged the public, featuring homecoming events at Wembley Arena.
Camelot chair Sir Hugh Robertson noted that these efforts enhanced public perception of the National Lottery brand, achieving levels comparable to the boost it received during initial Covid-19 lockdown funding commitments. Railton concluded, "This record first half shows that The National Lottery continues to be in its best-ever shape as it delivers for Good Causes, players, retailers, and Treasury," expressing gratitude for the ongoing support from colleagues and the broader National Lottery community.
